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USA made jeans - looking for opinions

robrinay

One Too Many
Messages
1,490
Location
Sheffield UK
Wrangler don't seem to sell their original made in the USA 'Cowboy Cut' jeans in the UK which are mentioned above. They used to sell them under that name and sometimes as Wrangler 'store brands' but all had the specification 13MWZ on the inside label, which I assume means 13 ounce denim as opposed to the 14 oz US versions referred to earlier? I guess these were made in the Wrangler factory which used to be just outside Nottingham. I've picked up a few pairs from retro clothing shops and eBay fortunately - they are ideal jeans to wear with the shorter vintage leather jackets in my collection, owing to their hi-rise style. My current go to jeans are Levi's 511's - slim fit and with a bit of stretch. As a youth I found that Lee Rider 101's fitted me best of all but as with the modern LVC range their modern pricing is crazy high in the UK and period originals are well out of my price range.
 

Seb Lucas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,562
Location
Australia
Robinray as I've said before just order on line. I just ordered three pairs of 13MWZ's from Sheplers which, even when post is paid for, is cheaper than one pair of 501's from the shop down the street here.
 

Foch

New in Town
Messages
29
Location
Montana
I really like my Prison Blues. I got them for my son when he started working construction and he swears by them
 

CBI

One Too Many
Messages
1,419
Location
USA
Brave Star Selvage and Tellison. Brave Star having a great sea right now!!!!!
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,082
Location
London, UK
Wrangler don't seem to sell their original made in the USA 'Cowboy Cut' jeans in the UK which are mentioned above. They used to sell them under that name and sometimes as Wrangler 'store brands' but all had the specification 13MWZ on the inside label, which I assume means 13 ounce denim as opposed to the 14 oz US versions referred to earlier? I guess these were made in the Wrangler factory which used to be just outside Nottingham. I've picked up a few pairs from retro clothing shops and eBay fortunately - they are ideal jeans to wear with the shorter vintage leather jackets in my collection, owing to their hi-rise style. My current go to jeans are Levi's 511's - slim fit and with a bit of stretch. As a youth I found that Lee Rider 101's fitted me best of all but as with the modern LVC range their modern pricing is crazy high in the UK and period originals are well out of my price range.

Old comment, I know, but... when I last went looking for some affordable but vintage cut jeans, Herself founds the Cowboy Cut on Amazon - I believe we bought them via Wrangler itself on Amazon Marketplace. Worked out about £35 a pair all-in, to my door. Cracking stuff.

The 13MWZ designation originally referred to 13 ounce denim jeans - "Men's, With Zip". They still cut them to the original pattern created in 1947 when they were the first commercially available jean with a zip fly. (I'm told they were celebrated foro ffering men easiesr access than a button fly; for the same reason, women who wore Wrangelrs rather than button-fly Levis were considered... suspect.) If memory serves, they began as the 11MWZ for the obvious reason, before becoming 13?

The denim they are made from nowadays is US-made, though they are actually sewn-up south of the border in Mexico. (An import for us either way!) While they still carry the classic 13MWZ designation (for the originalfit - the relaxed version is 21MWZ, and others exist across the collection. There's a Rigid version, 13MWZR. My 46w pair came with a label that said 13MWZXS - I assume the XS means plus size), the weight of the actual denim varies depending upon colour. The classic indigo version is 14.75oz, same in black. If you want a basic go-to jean with an authentic vintage fit, they're an absolute no-brainer.
 

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